News - Áras Éanna

17January2022January 17, 2022

A place that inspires visiting artists

By Ciaran Tierney Can you think of a better place than Inis Oirr to take time out and find inspiration? As restrictions eased last year, we opened up and expanded our artists in residence programme to bring a wider variety of artists to the island. For 22 years now, artists have been coming to Áras Éanna to enjoy the atmosphere, scenery, language and culture, and the friendliness of the people on the island. In 2021, we were delighted to welcome some amazing theatre companies, visual artists, writers, and musicians, and even acrobats, who worked on some fantastic projects during their...

07January2022January 7, 2022

News, NuachtBy admin_aras

A stunning location for outdoor shows

By Ciaran Tierney 2021 was the year when Áras Éanna Ionad Ealaine began to look at the beautiful island of Inis Oirr as a perfect location for outdoor shows. For decades, artists have been coming to the smallest of the Aran Islands to take inspiration from its beautiful landscape, friendly people, stunning views, stone walls, and a Gaeltacht culture which connects them with our ancestors. Programming in a pandemic has been a challenge for arts centres all across the world. But, as the arts centre celebrated its 21st birthday in 2021, Artistic Director Dara McGee came up with the idea...

23December2021December 26, 2021

News, NuachtBy admin_aras

A year like no other for Áras Éanna

By Ciarán Tierney It was like Christmas morning here on Inis Oirr in July when 21 currachs, from Donegal to Kerry, were unwrapped and unveiled to reveal the spectacular pieces of art which formed the centrepiece of the 21st birthday celebrations for Áras Éanna Ionad Ealáine this year. What an amazing exhibition, with the concept of painting or decorating 21 canvas and metal currachs being embraced with such a relish – and such spectacular variety – by artists all along the western seaboard. In a year of restrictions and lockdowns, the ‘Curacha’ exhibition which ran from July to September was...

A wonderful opportunity for Gaeltacht artists

04November2021November 4, 2021

News, NuachtBy admin_aras

A wonderful opportunity for Gaeltacht artists

Aras Eanna is delighted to announce two artist residencies on the beautiful island of Inis Oirr early in the new year. Applications are open to artists who are based in the Gaeltacht, from any art form. The two residencies will begin on January 30, 2022 and continue until March 12, giving artists a fabulous opportunity to spend six weeks on our Gaeltacht island. Accommodation will be provided in an artists’ house on the island and studio space will also be available at Aras Eanna. Aras Eanna is the most westerly arts centre in all of Europe, based on the beautiful...

12October2021October 14, 2021

News, NuachtBy admin_aras

Jumping for joy on Inis Oirr

It has only taken them a year to get here … so we are thrilled to welcome Cikada Circus to Inis Oirr for the start of a one month residency this week. There was huge interest all across Ireland when the Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network (ISACS) offered street performaners a chance to enjoy a four week residency on the island over a year ago. Cikada Circus, an acrobatic hand-to-hand performance company, were chosen for the residency but had to abandon their travel plans when Ireland entered a ‘Level Three’ lockdown this time last year. So it was...

06October2021October 7, 2021

Events, Imeachtaí, News, NuachtBy admin_aras

Magic in the air at Áras Éanna

There is magic in the air at our theatre this week as three theatre companies featuring artists with intellectual disabilities have come together to produce a performance based on the visit of a famous French actor and writer to the Aran Islands in the 1930s. Under the creative direction of Zone Poeme (from Lille, France) actors from Blue Teapot Theatre Company (Galway), Les Oiseaux Mouches (France) and Teatr 21 (Poland) are enjoying a week of intense rehearsals before the show on Friday (2pm). Their trip to Inis Oirr is all the more exciting because these groups were supposed to work...

04October2021October 4, 2021

News, NuachtBy admin_aras

The place is buzzing this week

With three shows, four theatre companies, some of Ireland’s top cartoonists, and three artists in residence around the place, it really feels that Aras Eanna is buzzing this week! Opening tomorrow at 5.30pm, we are delighted to welcome the Galway Cartoon Festival to Aras Eanna and Inis Oirr for the second year. They had such good fun here last year, it was hard to get them to leave! Some of the top cartoonists in Ireland are making the boat trip from Rossaveel for the official launch, which features music by Inis Oirr resident Pat Quinn. Artists including Pat Quinn himself,...

30September2021September 30, 2021

Events, Imeachtaí, News, NuachtBy admin_aras

The cartoonists are back

The Galway Cartoon Festival is returning to Inis Oirr for the second year in a row with two exhibitions in the Áras Éanna gallery and some live drawing this week. This five year old festival travelled overseas for the first time in 2020 and the cartoonists had such good fun on Inis Oirr that they vowed to return to Áras Éanna again this year. Artists including Aongus Collins, Tom Matthews, Caoimhe Laelle, Dean Patterson, Donal Casey, Graeme Keys and Sean Begley will have cartoons on display in our gallery for the second ‘Tarraing É I nGaeilge’ exhibition. They will be...

24September2021September 24, 2021

News, NuachtBy admin_aras

New poster celebrates the Curacha

A superb new colour poster has gone on sale to celebrate the ‘Curacha’ exhibition which marked the 21st birthday of Aras Eanna this summer. Designed by Caomhan O Scolaí and Dara McGee, the poster features colour photos of all 21 currachs by Inis Oirr resident Cormac Coyne. The posters are now on sale both on Inis Oirr and in Galway City. Áras Éanna Ionad Ealaíne commissioned 21 artists to paint or decorate 21 steel and canvas currachs for an outdoors exhibition which took place all across Inis Oirr this summer. The artists invited to take part were Dolores Lyne, Alannah...

21September2021September 21, 2021

NuachtBy admin_aras

The currachs have moved to Galway

The exhibition of 21 decorated currachs which captured the imagination of visitors to Inis Oirr all summer has journeyed to the NUI Galway campus to officially launch a new partnership between Áras Éanna arts centre and the University. A total of 20 of the currachs will remain on display in the Quadrangle at NUI Galway until October 10, with the public invited to visit free of charge and without prior booking. The 21st currach, by Oughterard-based artist Kathleen Furey, has gone on display inside Galway Cathedral. In a neat piece of synchronicity, Kathleen’s homage to a stained glass window by...